Natural Selection Lab- PhET Simulation

Pre-Lab Questions
1. What variables can you
influence in this lab?
Brown fur, long tail, long teeth,
adding wolf, changing environment
2. Define what a genetic mutation
is. How do genetic mutations happen? How often?
- A gene mutation is a permanent alteration in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene.
- Mutation can occur during DNA replication if errors are made and not corrected in time.
- Mutations can also occur as the result of exposure to environmental factors such as
smoking, sunlight and radiation.
- It happen occur all the time
3.

What do the terms fitness and adaptation mean? What is the difference between the
two?

Fitness is the ability to survive in the environment and reproduce, while adaptation is a
behavioural trait that evolved by natural selection and improves an organism's
ability to
survive
4.

What selection factors might effect an animal population besides the ones used in this
lab?
Their height, behavior, and food preference

Designing The Experiment

In this Lab you will be controlling the mutations and environment of a population of rabbits. Your
will create four hypotheses and design an experiment to test each one. Your hypothesis will
follow the format where you fill in the (...) with your own ideas and reasons.
I hypothesize that long teeth rabbits will be more likely to survive under long teeth within
the equator environment, because they can find food better
I hypothesize Short tail rabbits that will be more likely to survive under their fur within
the arctic tundra environment, because they can survive better in the cold
I hypothesize that brown rabbits will be more likely to survive under their brown fur
within the equator environment, because they can hide better from predators

***You must make at least one hypothesis for each of the three different types of phenotype mutations***
Experiment
and
Hypothesis

Pheno
type

Selective
Factor

CONTROL
Group
Initial
Population at
F3

CONTROL
Group
Final
Population

Experment
Group
Initial
Population
at F3

Experiment
Group
Final
Population

Conclusion/
Observation

Brown fur
bunnies will
be more than
the white
ones.

Brown
fur is
domina
nt,
white
fur is
recessi
ve

Brown fur

68= brown
70= total
bunnies
2= white

Brown fur bunnies

will survive better
than the white ones
in the equator area

Long tail
bunnies will
have a higher
adaptability
than short
tailed bunnies

Long
tail is
domina
nt,
short
tail is
recessi
ve

Long tail

110

128= total
bunnies
110= Short
tail
18= Long
tail

at the end the short

tail is more dominant
than the long ones.
So my hypnotises
was correct

Long teeth
will be have a
higher
chance to
survive so
they can find
food easily

Long
teeth is
domina
nt,
short
teeth is
recessi
ve

Long
Teeth

13

18=Total
Bunnies
13= Short
Teeth
5= Long
Teeth

The long teeth is

more recessive
compared to the long
ones.

For each experiment you must have a control (no mutation) and fill in the following chart

For each of the experiments, begin by adding a friend and a mutation. Wait until the F3
generation before adding the selective factor. After adding the selective factor let the
simulation run for another 3 or 4 generations.
Use the population numbers from the chart to get you numbers for the table, remember
you can zoom in and out on the chart to get more accurate reads.

Repeat for experiments 2, 3 and 4

Post-Lab Questions
1. Based upon your evidence from the simulation what conclusion are you able to make
about each of the three different types of phenotypes in rabbits?
The fur color is important to hide an animals from the predators, thats why it became the
most significant phenotype. That is also why a rabbit with similar color to its
ecosystem
were able to survive better than a rabbit with a different fur color

2.

What happens to animals that cannot compete as well with other animals in the wild?
They will die, either killed by predator or having no food to eat.

3.

Sometimes animals that are introduced into an area that they never lived in before, outcompete and endanger resident species, why do you think this happens?
Because their behavior is not yet suited for the environment

4.

If only one species is considered the "fittest", why do we still have so many variations
among species. Why do some birds have very long pointy beaks, while other birds have
short flat beaks?
Because each specification of the animal were exist/evolved to help those animals
survive within their environment

5.

How do you think diseases can affect natural selection?

A few species ould eventually be immune with a certain type of disease, which helped
them survive while other species died out.

6.

How does this simulation mimic natural selection? In what ways does this simulation fail
to represent the process of natural selection?
It showed how a predator will prefer to eat a prey that can easily spot. But it fail to shows
other factor such as specific traits to help them spot their prey easier.

Extension- Changing the Dominance and Recessive Alleles

Take one of the experiments from the lab. Recreate the same experiment, EXCEPT when you
add the mutation EDIT THE GENES by switching the dominant and recessive allele for that trait.
Make a hypothesis, fill in the chart again and compare the
results to your initial experiment.
Experiment
and
Hypothesis

Pheno
type

Selective
Factor

If the brown
fur trait is
recessive, the
rabbit
population
will decline

Brow
n fur

Wolves 17

1.

CONTROL
Group
Initial
Population at
F3

CONTROL
Group
Final
Population

Experment
Group
Initial
Population
at F3

Experiment
Group
Final
Population

Conclusion/
Observation

The brown rabbit

died because its
gene is recessive,
while the white rabbit
who are left are
finished by the
wolves.

Did switching the alleles for dominant and recessive have any impact on the population
of rabbits? If so Why? In nothing changed Why not?
If the animals dominant trait is helping them to survive better, hen the rabbits population
will increase, however if the trait is recessive , the population will decrease

2.

Two parent rabbits are both heterozygous for the trait. Create Punnet squares for the
original experiment and the new experiment (with the changed alleles). What are the
phenotype ratios of the Punnet squares? Does this evidence support your finding? and
how?

3.

If this new experiment were to run longer would the end result be the same or different
from the original experiment?
It would end the same since if the adaptive trait is the recessive gene

Extension- Working with Pedigrees- Switch from the population chart to the
pedigree chart
Begin by adding a friend and a mutation. Wait until the F5 generation. Copy the Pedigree for two
rabbits (described below) using the key. Assume
that male rabbits are on the left and female rabbits
are on the right.

Find these two rabbits, make sure they have at least four generations:
1. Select a rabbit that has the mutation.
2. Select a rabbit without the mutation but with parents or grandparent with the mutation.
Answer the following questions:
1. How could using a pedigree be helpful?
Pedigree help us knowing when was the genetic mutation happen

2.

What does it mean to have a yellow triangle above the rabbit?

The yellow thing is showing that the mutation on the rabbit is start happening

3.

What does it mean when a rabbit has a red X over it?

It means that the rabbit have the recessive gene but doesnt show the trait.

4.

How accurate are the pedigrees used in this lab? Did each couple only have one baby?
Its not accurate because in real life he rabbit would have a multiple baby